Thanks very much DanI-S, I'll mostly ask you for help when the time comes, lots of thanks :)
(And BTW we have a Hackerspace in Damascus as well https://www.facebook.com/WikilogiaHackerspace, it belongs to Wikilogia - the community partner of SWDamascus, and I teach web programming there as well :D ).
As for the "is this really the best thing you can do with your time if you're going to be in Damascus" point of view, it's missing the essential part of the thing; we are ALREADY in Damascus now, I'm (one of the organizers) writing this comment from the heart of Damascus, all the organizers are living in Damascus, and all the attendees will be from Damascus as well. If we don't found useful startups, what else could we be doing to help our country and people survive?
As for the security point of view, you are right; people die everyday not only in Damascus, but all over Syria, should that mean we have to keep at home?
People die while at home, in job, or in any situation; the best thing you can do is to take whatever chances you have to help rebuild your country and bring ease to your people.
According to a UN survey, more than 500,000 jobs will be needed in Syria by 2015. We have absolutely NO hope in having these jobs unless we found local entrepreneurship culture and successful startups - it is a good idea to start that by a SW event, isn't it? :)